Hunky actor Alex Landi talks smashing stereotypes playing a gay Asian character on prime time
“Asians are represented, I think, by less than 3 percent in entertainment, LGBTQ being less than 1 percent,” Landi says.
Daily Archives: November 19, 2018
Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk to Be Remembered in Candlelight Walk 40 Years After His Assassination
Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk to Be Remembered in Candlelight Walk 40 Years After His Assassination
Gay rights icon Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone will be remembered on November 27 at 7 pm with a candlelight walk from the plaza named for Milk to City Hall, where they were assassinated by SF Supervisor Dan White 40 years ago.
The walk, which will echo the spontaneous march that took place shortly after the murders, is being organized by the Harvey Milk LBTQ Democratic Club, which writes: “In November of 1978, bookending the Thanksgiving holiday, the city of San Francisco and, it might be said, the world was changed forever. The double horror of the tragedy at Jonestown, followed by the slaying of Harvey Milk and George Moscone was a crushing trauma to the heart and soul of San Francisco, and yet in that darkness we rose together in candlelight not only to remember those we had lost but to strengthen and galvanize ourselves to give them voice to continue their fight and and vision for the future….In honour of that same eloquent response, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club invites all to join us in quiet reflection from those who knew these great advocates of social justice at Harvey Milk Plaza. Following this, we will walk in candlelight to the steps of City Hall where current community leadership will echo their vision, just as those who were there did that warm November night in 1978.”
Said Sally Miller Gearhart of the march in 1978: “It was one of the most eloquent expressions of a community’s response to violence that I’ve ever seen, and I think that we as lesbians and gay men, and all the straight people who were marching with us that night – and there were thousands – I think we said it. I think we sent a message to the nation that night about what our immediate response was – not violence, but a certain respect for Harvey and a deep… a deep… regret and feeling of tragedy about it, because Moscone had been our friend as well.”
The post Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk to Be Remembered in Candlelight Walk 40 Years After His Assassination appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
New LGBTQ Thanksgiving Movie Highlights Going Home and Coming Out During the Holidays
New LGBTQ Thanksgiving Movie Highlights Going Home and Coming Out During the Holidays
This Thanksgiving, filmmaker Jenna Laurenzo is bringing LGBTQ representation to the big screen with her new movie, “Lez Bomb.”
“As someone who had to come out, I always was looking for characters and representation that reflected those experiences and, in particular, I really wanted comedies, and I really wanted happy endings,” Laurenzo said in an interview with HRC. “I also loved all the dysfunctional family stories in films that we don’t really see that much of anymore.
“I wanted to tell this relatable family comedy with a queer twist and have Thanksgiving as a backdrop because it is astonishing that in 2018, we haven’t had that yet.”
The groundbreaking movie features characters inspired by Laurenzo’s family. She filmed it at her childhood home and at her mother’s motel.
“The actual arc of coming out — the emotions there are very much grounded in my own personal experience, except in real life, it took a few years to process, and in ‘Lez Bomb,’ we tried to take those emotions and that journey and put in a 48-hour period with Thanksgiving as the theme,” she said.
Family members could be more supportive of their LGBTQ family by not marginalizing their experiences.
“Everybody at some point in their life had to come out as something… Sexuality aside, coming home and coming out to family is a very universal thing,” she said. “When it comes to sexuality, trying to find the universality of that experience and being compassionate enough to understand is important.”
With LGBTQ organizations like HRC, it makes it easier to tell LGBTQ stories, Laurenzo said.
“These organizations are so important because they give LGBTQ people these platforms in which they have support and they help give it an opportunity to have more visibility, and that is the most important in terms of bringing these stories to a wider audience,” Laurenzo said.
She hopes that people watch the movie, feel inspired and share their coming out story this holiday season.
“I encourage people to share their stories and continue to share, because that’s the best way to bring everyone’s stories to a wider audience and, hopefully, there’s a kind of compassion and empathy and understanding that continues to move forward,” she said.
You can watch “Lez Bomb” in theaters today and on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Cable On Demand. Learn more here.
Skype calling now available on Amazon Alexa devices
Skype calling now available on Amazon Alexa devices
At Skype, our mission has always been to bring people together—to make it easier for friends and families to be there for one another—wherever they may be. With that in mind, we’re investing in new ways for you to connect in the most human way possible—by simply using your voice.
Beginning today, Skype calling is available on Amazon Alexa devices—just in time for the holidays. With Skype on your Alexa-enabled device, you can connect hands-free with family and friends around the world just by saying, “Alexa, call Mom on Skype.” In addition to Skype audio and video calling, we’re providing the ability for Alexa customers to call most landlines and mobile numbers internationally using Skype to Phone. To celebrate the availability of Skype calling with Alexa, Skype is offering 200 free minutes of Skype to Phone calling to 34 countries (terms apply).
With Skype and Alexa, you can now connect with your friends and family around the world completely hands-free. Use Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Dot to make hands-free Skype voice calls wherever Alexa and Skype are available, or place high-fidelity Skype video calls from the Echo Show and Echo Spot directly to Skype on computers and mobile devices.
To get started, simply link Skype with your Alexa account by following the instructions below.
call. Detailed instructions can be found on our feature page.
Skype calling on Alexa is available now in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand with support for other countries rolling out soon. And for the best Skype calling and video experience, update to Skype version 8.34 or later.
At Skype, we always appreciate your feedback, visit the Skype.com feature page for more details on compatible devices, how to link your Alexa account, and what new capabilities are supported. Please continue to follow our blog posts for more news and announcements.
The post Skype calling now available on Amazon Alexa devices appeared first on Skype Blogs.
blogs.skype.com/news/2018/11/19/skype-calling-now-available-on-amazon-alexa-devices/
This author got 10 years in prison for writing a steamy gay romance novel
This author got 10 years in prison for writing a steamy gay romance novel
Homosexuality in China is legal, but this recent case shows just how uncomfortable the country is with LGBTQ people.
RuPaul Makes Debut on ‘The Simpsons’ – WATCH
RuPaul Makes Debut on ‘The Simpsons’ – WATCH
RuPaul made his debut on The Simpsons in an episode Sunday night called “Werking Mom” in which Marge struggles to make ends meet as a Tupperware lady but finds sudden success after her hairdresser Julio glams her up and takes her to his house to sell to his friends, and she is mistaken for a drag queen.
Marge’s adventure into her new persona leads her to RuPaul’s Queen Chante and a set of fellow queens who boost her confidence.
Drag Race’s Raja also appears in a scene with Homer.
Rajas cameo on tonight’s episode of the simpsons from rupaulsdragrace
The jig, of course, is eventually up, but we won’t offer any spoilers here.
Another clip from the episode:
The post RuPaul Makes Debut on ‘The Simpsons’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 19, 2018
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 19, 2018
NEW HRC REPORT DETAILS ONGOING EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE: Released in advance of tomorrow’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2018 honors the at least 22 transgender people killed in 2018 in the U.S. and details the factors that lead to this tragic violence. “On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we join together to mourn the lives lost to hate and violence this past year and rededicate ourselves to the urgent action that this epidemic requires,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “From anti-trans employment and housing discrimination to systemic racism, we must recognize the intersecting factors that influence, motivate and embolden the violence that plagues so many within the transgender community — particularly Black and Latina transgender women. White, cisgender men like me have a unique responsibility to support our transgender siblings in combating this violence, and join fully in the work to achieve equality for every person in the LGBTQ community.” Read more at HRC.
- The Daily Beast’s Samantha Allen (@SLAwrites) reports on how Jacksonville, Florida, has become “America’s transgender murder capital.” Read her piece here.
ED SEC BETSY DEVOS’ PROPOSED RULE CHANGE TO TITLE IX WOULD HARM SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: “This rule turns back the clock to a time when our schools swept rape, sexual assault and harassment under the rug,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “This is a blatant disregard for the justice of survivors of sexual violence by letting schools off the hook for Title IX obligations and denying survivors, including LGBTQ survivors, their civil right to equal access to education.” The dangerous proposed changes would keep students and their parents in the dark about whether the school intends to discriminate. More from HRC.
- Meanwhile, the Trump-Pence administration continues its unconscionable attacks on LGBTQ people, pressuring the 4-H to scuttle its LGBTQ-welcoming position. Read the exclusive report by Courtney Crowder (@CourtneyCare) and Jason Clayworth (@JasonClayworth) at the Des Moines Register.
- And anti-equality lawmakers are urging Trump to erase LGBTQ protections from the new NAFTA proposal. More from Emily Birnbaum (@birnbaum_e) at The Hill.
Instead of protecting sexual assault survivors, Betsy DeVos is trying to ensure that they have a more difficult time finding justice.t.co/QUZQAJXomo
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) November 17, 2018
ORANGE COUNTY TURNS A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE, AS HRC-ENDORSED HOUSE CANDIDATE GIL CISNEROS DECLARED WINNER:
.@HRC congratulates pro-equality champion @GilCisnerosCA on your historic win for #CA39. We were proud to mobilize #EqualityVoters across California to #TurnOUT and make history. #ElectionResults2018 pic.twitter.com/4ZylI6E6vR
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) November 18, 2018
- And congratulations to @HRC-backed @KatieHobbs, Arizona’s next secretary of state! Thank you to all of the #EqualityVoters who made this victory possible.
MUST WATCH MONDAY — ON ELLEN, MICHELLE OBAMA REVEALS HOW SHE SNUCK OUT TO VIEW THE WHITE HOUSE LIT IN RAINBOW COLORS: The illumination celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court marriage equality ruling. More from E News.
ON 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN MASSACHUSETTS, PLAINTIFFS RECALL THE HISTORIC STATE RULING: “Robert Compton and David Wilson, now happily married, can still remember how they cried when they heard the news,” reports WXXV25.
JANELLE MONAE AND CYNDI LAUPER TO BE HONORED AT BILLBOARD’S WOMEN IN MUSIC EVENT: More from Billboard.
CELINE DION LAUNCHES GENDER NEUTRAL CLOTHING LINE: Once more you open the door / And you’re here in my heart / And my heart will go on and on. More from Out Magazine.
NEW FILM FROM YEARDLEY SMITH FEATURES TRANS ACTRESS ALEXANDRA GREY: More from Deadline.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
FAR-RIGHT DISRUPTS RALLY FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS IN UKRAINE: Several LGBTQ advocates were assaulted and police did not intervene to help them. More from BBC News.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!
www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-november-19-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Chinese Writer Jailed for 10 Years for Book Containing Gay Sex Scenes
Chinese Writer Jailed for 10 Years for Book Containing Gay Sex Scenes
A Chinese writer identified as Liu but known more by the alias Tian Yi was jailed for 10 years for a book she wrote which contained gay sex scenes, the BBC reports: ‘On 31 October, Liu was sentenced to jail by the People’s Court of Wuhu for making and selling “obscene material” for profit, according to local news site Wuhu news. However, details of the hearing only emerged on Chinese media outlets this week.’
The South China Morning Post reports: ‘The book that landed her into trouble was a 2017 novel named Occupy, which sold 7,000 copies through the internet. The novel, about a forbidden love affair between a teacher and a student, was said to be filled with “graphic depictions of male homosexual sex scenes” tinged with violence, according to a television station in Anhui. Pornography is illegal in China, but the hefty sentence given to Liu has ignited an uproar on social media. According to the country’s criminal law, sentences for producing and disseminating obscene material for profit can vary wildly from a few years to life depending on the perceived severity of the offence.The heavy sentence imposed in this case ignited an uproar. Outraged social media users were quick to point out that many serious crimes, including rape, violence and manslaughter, carried a lower sentence.’
The post Chinese Writer Jailed for 10 Years for Book Containing Gay Sex Scenes appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Chinese Writer Jailed for 10 Years for Book Containing Gay Sex Scenes
New Report Details Ongoing Epidemic of Violence Against Transgender People
New Report Details Ongoing Epidemic of Violence Against Transgender People
Today, HRC Foundation released A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2018, a heartbreaking report honoring the at least 22 transgender people killed in 2018 and detailing the contributing and motivating factors that lead to this tragic violence. The report comes a day ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual commemoration of the transgender people killed during the preceding year.
“On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we join together to mourn the lives lost to hate and violence this past year and rededicate ourselves to the urgent action that this epidemic requires,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “From anti-trans employment and housing discrimination to systemic racism, we must recognize the intersecting factors that influence, motivate and embolden the violence that plagues so many within the transgender community — particularly Black and Latina transgender women. White, cisgender men like me have a unique responsibility to support our transgender siblings in combating this violence, and join fully in the work to achieve equality for every person in the LGBTQ community.”
“At least 128 transgender people — the vast majority transgender women of color — have been killed in the last five years,” said Jay Brown, Acting Senior Vice President, HRC Foundation. “But most people can’t even name one victim — one human being who left behind family, friends and a future. We must do better. Solidarity means showing up, speaking out, saying their names and steadfastly working to change the realities that conspire to put transgender people at risk of violence. We can do better.”
The new report found that since the start of the year, at least 22 transgender people have been killed in the U.S. The twelve months of 2017 were deadliest on record, with at least 29 transgender people killed. Since January 2013, HRC has documented at least 128 transgender people who were victims of fatal violence; at least 110 were transgender people of color. Nearly nine in every 10 victims were transgender women and 45 percent of all domestic deaths occurred in the U.S. South. These disturbing numbers likely underreport deadly violence targeting transgender people, who may not be properly identified as transgender.
The report also includes data on deaths where explicit violence may not have been present, but where hate, indifference and dehumanization no doubt contributed to the person’s passing. Among these stories is that of Roxana Hernández, a 33-year-old transgender Latina woman, who died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after seeking asylum after fleeing anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination in Honduras.
A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2018 also explores many of the factors that can contribute to or facilitate fatal violence. In many instances, systemic discrimination at the intersection of gender identity and race lead to significant barriers to employment and housing. This pushes many transgender people into underground economies to survive, including sex work, and into circumstances where they may be more likely to face violence. Additionally, anti-LGBTQ animus coupled with too-easy access to guns and increasing political attacks on the transgender community only embolden the often violent prejudice facing transgender people.
There are a number of actions lawmakers can take to address the violence, including enhancing law enforcement response and training; improving data collection and reporting; reforming laws that have the impact of criminalizing marginalized communities and undermining public health; passing non-discrimination protections; and adopting common-sense gun violence protections.
Today’s release of A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2018 also marks the conclusion of HRC’s commemoration of Transgender Awareness Week, which is dedicated to the progress and unfinished work in the fight for transgender equality. Late last week, HRC released a new report detailing the alarming challenges and barriers facing transgender and gender-expansive youth around the country — and their perseverance in the face of discrimination and harassment.
On Tuesday, transgender people and their allies will gather in communities across the country to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. For more information on Transgender Awareness Week and HRC’s work on transgender equality, visit: www.hrc.org/explore/topic/transgender.
